


The Next Time

by ivy3310



Series: Our Time [1]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Youngjae P.O.V
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 16:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6617479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivy3310/pseuds/ivy3310
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s always a next time…<br/>to love, to hurt and to forgive.<br/>---</p><p>He had lost count of the times he thought about it,</p><p>10 years was just long enough to start thinking if it would last forever…</p><p>and enough to take someone for granted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I wrote a long time ago. I'm thinking of finishing all the parts for the story and thought: well, why not also post it here (as I have an account and all).
> 
> I've made some editing, but it's not beta read or anything.
> 
> Hope you find it enjoyable anyhow.

Yoo Youngjae was 25 and lived in a simple yet stylish apartment round the center of Seoul with his long time boyfriend. It was nice.

He had a nine-to-five job as a bank consultant and while it wasn’t the most exciting occupation out there, it paid well. Not too demanding or challenging, sure he had to wear perfectly pressed shirts and suffocating ties but he had made worse sacrifices in his youth. For instance, he dreamed of being a novelist once, but writing stories of imaginative characters while conveying his deepest thoughts wouldn’t keep him from worrying about settling a full meal on his table. Therefore, he sacked it. Many dreamed of being a writer, many studied to become an aspiring one… but only a handful made it to the finishing line. So Youngjae found a different path, one he had literally stumbled upon on a rainy day. But it hasn’t been too bad. Except for the tie of course, he pulled at the loop around his neck to loosen it, allowing himself to catch a deep breath. 

His boyfriend, Daehyun was 26 and a caring social worker. It had been the other’s goal since the day they first met, to help people because it made his days feel meaningful. It might sound a bit cliché but he could swear it was the truth. And Youngjae still remembered that day. Perhaps too clearly for 10 years to have passed. It was in the convenience store clammed between the game arcade and the café with the best mango smoothies. He had been slightly round and squishy while Daehyun back then was a scrawny little kid. They fought over the last bag of chips, you know, the one with both chili and onion flavor. He thought no one liked it except for him, but apparently he was wrong and before he knew it they were glaring at each other. He had been the one to give in, because it was stupid, how they had both been so stubborn and Youngjae had wanted to feel like the better person back then.

Funnily, once they’ve met, he seemed to see the same face everywhere he went. They went to the same school but different classes. They were in the same club but different departments. He wondered then if they had met thousands of times before they actually met…

Maybe that’s how it worked. 

Maybe we all needed a certain event, a fateful trigger for us to see what has always been there - to find what we have been searching for.

Oh well, he couldn’t say he had been looking for a life partner and it surely didn’t feel anywhere close to it the next time they exchanged gazes.

But eventually it happened.

 _The next time they fought…_  

it was over something equally trivial, but the words clang with a certain fondness.

_The next time they met…_

they spoke in a friendlier manner, exchanging stories as if they were trying to get to know one another.

_The next time…_

and the next and the next and the next after that, Youngjae found himself falling. 

 

***

 

After almost 10 years together one could say that Youngjae and Daehyun knew everything about each other. Even the smallest details, the ones they didn’t consciously pay attention to but knew anyway. 

Maybe they knew each other too well, 10 years was after all a long time. And they were young back then, innocent and happy.

They were happy now, of course they were. Youngjae loved Daehyun, he loved him so much he could practically feel it pulsate behind the thick bones of his chest.

But sometimes, he couldn’t help but think it was love that led him to squint for happiness so far-fetched. The more he loved, the more his expectations seemed to grow.

_And the harder it became to keep the hollow him from the surface._

He had lost count of the times he thought about it,

10 years was just long enough to start thinking if it would last forever…

_and enough to take someone for granted._

In his head, he categorized many _‘next times’._

The words he wanted to say and the things he wanted to hear. He put them all together into a long list of two columns. But it turned into one of those papers, one of those written to be forgotten in a pile of plenty.

He couldn’t say them, because in his heart of hearts he knew Daehyun cared for him too. Whether it was still love, he never dared to ask. But he hoped.

Daehyun had what Youngjae thought a very demanding job, one with no regular working hours or constant mealtimes. The elder had never been one about formalities and therefore often mixed work with his personal life. But Youngjae never minded. In his eyes, his boyfriend was someone who approached people wholeheartedly, with adorning genuine smiles in hopes of being able to make the everyday life better for a soul or two, and he would take all the time required to do so. 

It had been easy at first, the texts which often consisted of rushed apologies and rain checks. Youngjae tried to be understanding, because he respected Daehyun and what he did. His dream might have been buried a long time ago, but he was glad Daehyun’s kept staying so beautiful.

_‘I’m sorry. Someone needs me here, I have to stay. I’ll make it up to you, promise.’_

Youngjae would smile faintly and run his eyes over the text twice, his replies had for a time altered between: _‘It’s fine, we’ll just catch the movie at its next screening’_ to _‘Be careful. I’ll leave food in the fridge. Heat it up when you get home’._

He couldn’t with accuracy pinpoint the exact time they made him tip over and think along the lines of:

_‘Ah, not again…’_

But he had a hunch it was around the time Daehyun didn’t seem to have enough seconds to text him anymore. The time he suddenly found himself left fidgeting outside the movie theater, alone occupying a table for two at a restaurant or at home following the hands of the clock, waiting for the other to come home.

He just wanted something, some reassurance or confirmation, no matter the dose for his weary heart.

When he did get to see Daehyun though, falling on the couch in exhaustion and dark circles under his eyes he would feel slight guilt wash over him.

Being where they were, knowing each other like they did… it felt petty to think _‘But I need you too’_ like the way he had come to do.

Selfish somehow.

And in a relationship, there was no room for selfishness.

He knew it was his own troubled heart that consumed what they shared.

_‘Yoo Youngjae was 25 and lived in a simple yet stylish apartment round the center of Seoul with his long time boyfriend. It was nice.’_

_Aside from the times it got lonely._

***

The next time he was forgotten

he was sitting by their reserved table in his carefully chosen outfit consisting of a white shirt, blue sweater and khaki pants. He took a quick glance at the watch around his wrist and noted that he was early. Like usual. He liked to be punctual, even though he didn’t mind others being one or two minutes late. That was who he was, someone who liked to wait instead of keeping others waiting.

Lights decorated the streets, dazzling in warm colors and Youngjae smiled softly as a twirl of anticipation formed down bottom of his stomach.

He couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse for him to be nervous, it wasn’t like this was their first date. Their first date had been filled with awkward exchanges and nervous looks. Which seemed odd, now that he thought of it, as they already knew each other by then. But it had been sweet, sweet and memorable nonetheless.

This was far from their first date, still, that didn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering their wings within him.

It wasn’t until the waitress asked for his order the third time when he realized that Daehyun wasn’t going to come. And that it was foolish of him to sit there and wait any longer. If two hours wasn’t enough for the waited person to show up, then he probably never would.

A part of him wanted to be mad, press on the speed dial and demand an explanation from his lover. But the major part of him was too far in disappointment to make place for another sentiment.

He didn’t want to be selfish, it always made him feel bad to question the other when he knew it was something that couldn’t be helped. Daehyun was an idiot; he forgot easily, he was also soft-hearted so it wouldn’t surprise Youngjae if he was out there too absorbed in his work or something alike.

At least, Youngjae knew that promises to him were broken because Daehyun was a good man. If not the best.

At least he knew it wasn’t intentional.

He stood outside the office and pondered on whether to enter or not. In his hand was a bag of Daehyun’s favorite food he had ordered and kindly asked the waitress to wrap up for him to go. There had been a trace of sympathy in the polite smile, but Youngjae knew how to brush them off with expertise by now.

He passed the sliding doors and could immediately distinguish Daehyun’s voice of honey around the corner. What he couldn’t recognize though was the deep growl belonging to the person he guessed Daehyun was conversing with.

Two heads bent over a bunch of papers came into view and his footsteps seemed to become heavier as they echoed soundly the closer he got.

Identical bewildered faces looked up at him and Youngjae did his best to smile. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Daehyun’s chair scraped against the floor as he pulled it back to stand up, approaching Yooungjae with a faint smile on his lips. “What are you doing here?”

He couldn’t tell what hit him the hardest, his lover’s unexpected response of discomfort or the fact that Daehyun wore glasses and he didn’t know about it.

Youngjae noticed things. He prided himself in noticing the smallest of details. Yet here he was hurt for not noticing such a trivial thing.

It just… how long has it been since they _really_ saw each other?

“Hi, you must be Youngjae.” The third person with the deep voice stood up to offer a hand for a proper greeting. “I’m Yongguk, Daehyun’s colleague. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The smile was wide, Youngjae thought, full of teeth and exactly how Daehyun had described him when he had gone on and on about an amazing _sunbae_ at work.

Youngjae nodded and took the hand before him and shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you.” He turned to Daehyun as passed him the white plastic bag. “I brought you your favorites.” He winched inwardly at his lack of self-control when the faint thread of bitterness could be traced in his voice. He bit down on his lip and waited for Daehyun to look at him weirdly but it never came. He was too busy eyeing the contents in the bag.

Yongguk did though, Bang Yongguk, a stranger to him did. “Sorry for keeping Daehyun here this late. It’s my fault really, I’m always onto too many things and—“

“Hyung,” Daehyun interrupted with his mouth full. “I told you it’s fine. I want to help.” He placed all the cartons of chicken, rice and vegetables on the table. “Here, you should eat too, you haven’t gotten anything in you since 4 today.” He said and handed his senior the extra pair of chopstick Youngjae had brought for them to eat together.

Sometimes, that’s all he wanted… for them to sit and eat together.

Yongguk accepted the cutlery gracefully and for a moment Youngjae’s existence got pushed the side to make place for two equal minds. For those with the same dream and spoke the same language. “Yah, you pay too much attention to me. Do I seem like I need to be looked after?”

It stung.

Youngjae’s eyes blinked until the needle could be pulled out without hurting all too much.

“Oh, Youngjae-ah,” Daehyun said and finaaly turned to look at Youngjae. “I won’t come back until really late today, so no need to wait up for me. Just go to bed whenever you feel like it.”

The two young men went back to their conversation over topics he from time to time wished he was into so that he could understand his lover’s excitement. But Youngjae knew they didn’t speak the same when it came to exchanging work related stories. His were boring while Daehyun had so much to share. He took it as his cue to leave. “Okay,” the weak mumble leaving his mouth was foreign even to his own ears.

But Daehyun didn’t notice.

_‘… one could say that Youngjae and Daehyun knew everything about one another. Even the smallest details, the ones they didn’t consciously pay attention to but knew anyway.’_

When you knew too much was perhaps the moment you stopped trying to see what’s there anymore…

He turned around after a quiet ‘good bye’ and told himself the other wasn’t doing it on purpose. But he stopped it almost instantly, because it only made him hurt more.

… And when you try to look at again, you’ll find yourself searching for faults in a person that can only be seen through a twisted vision.

 

*** 

 

The next time they fought

he honestly couldn’t remember what it initially was about, it had blown out of proportions too quickly for him to remember why they were yelling at each other in first place.

“So this is my fault!?” Youngjae’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I told you I’m sorry! If it was so damn important you should have just picked up the phone yourself!” He stomped past Daehyun, bumped into his shoulder in the process only to make a statement.

He had no idea what was happening.

“You could have written down the number or at least taken a message.” There were times they were both collided too harshly and this was unfortunately one of those. What he hated the most when it happened though was how he was always the one wound up while Daehyun voice remained calm. “Seriously Youngjae, it’t not that hard.”

“I’m sorry okay!” he spun around, looking straight at Daehyun with hardened eyes. His hands clenched into fists.

The older of the two sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair distractedly. “What did he say in the call then?” he asked, his voice softer this time. Almost in resignation.

Too calm and too collected to make him feel like the one in the wrong.

“I honestly don’t remember.” Youngjae said in a similar tone. “I’m sorry.”

What’s the point in struggling alone in a fight for two?

“Youngjae, please. This is really important to me.”

He knew, he knew it was a matter of great importance. Daehyun look at him like this if it wasn’t.

Daehyun was good-hearted and beautiful.

_‘… they were young back then, innocent and happy.’_

Their world had never included much aside from the two of them.

And perhaps they were growing too large to fit in place built for two.

_Youngjae wished he was important too._

***

 

The next time he walked aimlessly down the street alone

his head had been filled with thoughts he didn’t think would ever catch up to him.

The day he confessed to Daehyun wasn’t particularly a special day; they were standing in line to pay for their ice creams in a convenience store when Youngjae had blurted it out. It wasn’t mindless or sudden; it was a phrase that had been lingering on his lips for far too long.  Simple words of _‘I like you, like like in the way I think I shouldn’t. But I like you’_ which despite Youngjae and Daehyun’s young age were vulnerable. The words had suddenly craved to come to life and Youngjae had let them.

Discreetly Daehyun took Youngjae’s warm hand in his; the smile on his lips was full of everything that was tender and it just felt right. “I thought I was going to die waiting for you.”

In the early days, before it naturally morphed into something intricate, even the simplest of touches had been more than enough to satisfy the hunger for affection and love. Holding hands and soft gazes were more than enough to nourish the bond between them and keep it blooming.

But everything loses their value eventually. Simple gestures no longer meant what they used to. Or maybe it just got the point they got rare because to extend one’s hand required an effort barely anyone had the energy to offer.

Youngjae was across the street to the building of Daehyun’s workplace. He fixed the scarf around his neck and shivered at the momentarily gust of cold air brushing his skin.

He waited because he was still very much in love. And even though he found it tiring, he’d still be able to scrape together ounces of energy to keep them going.

He was in doubt, but that didn’t mean he stopped believing entirely.

His hand shook from the cold as he freed it from the glove o pull out his phone. A sweet melody rang through the device; the one Daehyun didn’t know played when people called him but Youngjae always found amusing.

The tune went on and on and kept Youngjae in wonder. But the answer, or parts of it came in the form of Daehyun crossing through the sliding doors, halting on the porch with his phone in his hand. The younger thought of disconnecting the call and wave for the other’s attention, but then when Daehyun pushed the ringing phone into the pockets of his jacket…

Youngjae had turned too cold to do anything other than to keep on breathing.

The call went to voicemail when another familiar figure appeared to put an arm around Daehyun’s shoulders.

_‘Hey Youngjae, there’s this sunbae at work who is incredible. His name is Bang Yongguk, he’s only a few years older than us but has done so much already. He just got back from volunteer work in Kenya. He’s amazing—‘_

The admiration, the sparkle in his eyes and the broad smile on his lips, Youngjae wished that he too hadn’t paid attention to any of it.

The elder leaned closer to whisper something in Daehyun’s ear and Youngjae could hear the notes of Daehyun’s laughter even from the distance.

Youngjae’s hands froze by his sides. His breaths danced off beat, too heavy and forced to the tune of smiles used to be played by his own hands.

Daehyun and Yongguk turned to the right, with even and bouncy steps they disappeared round the corner and out of Youngjae’s sights.

It didn’t take him long to finally turn stumble in the other direction.

He wasn’t one to make rash assumptions. He knew Daehyun would never do something like that to him, something that would leave loose ends to cut though him continuously… something like cheating. Youngjae woul ignore calls too, calls from his friends only because he thought the day called for it. Usually though, it was because he didn’t feel like seeing them and needed a pause from whatever the issue was.

And Daehyun could do the same.

What one doesn’t know cannot hurt.

_Just like it could hurt once they do._

He knew Yongguk was a friend, someone his boyfriend looked up to and so long it was nothing more than that.

But he also knew…

_he was failing to play the song._

 

***

 

The next time he asked Daehyun...

“Do you love me?”

was on the 24th of January.

The weather was still cold but that was one of the few things expected. It was winter, so naturally it would be cold.

“Uhm?” Daehyun turned his head slightly but his eyes were still on the computer screen, focusing on the words being typed down.

Youngjae was lying on the their bed, the duvet protectively around him as his eyes followed the curve of Daehyun’s back hunched in front of the computer.

“Do you love me?” there was a time he asked it for fun; to tease the other and the answer had been obvious.  But it wasn’t anymore, and his uncertainty wore him down like nothing else could.

Daehyun’s back straightened, bemusedly, he turned around. “Of course I do.” He chuckled after a while and rose up from his seat to walk over to the where his lover was lying. “Pabo.” He bent down over Youngjae and pecked his forehead. “Go to sleep, you have to work tomorrow.”

“What about you?” Youngjae stared up with hopeful eyes; he really wanted to hold Daehyun tonight.

“Soon, I’ll just finish this” the older man said and was already turning back to his typing. “Good night, baby.”

Youngjae stayed awake watching Daehyun’s back.

It wasn’t until the clock struck over to another day that his eyes fluttered shut.

He didn’t ask for much.

After all, it wasn’t as if it was very special.

But he couldn’t stop himself from thinking how nice it would be if Daehyun remembered.

He didn’t need much.

Just a simple _‘Happy Birthday’_ would have been enough.

 

***

 

The next time he thought it over

 _‘it’_ being him and Daehyun, was when he was the last to know about Daehyun’s trip to Laos.

“It’s only for one or two months.” Daehyun said not understanding why Youngjae was staring at him as if he had done something wrong over the dining table. “You know I’ve always wanted to volunteer abroad. I really don’t get why you are so upset about it.”

“It never hit you to maybe discuss it with me first before you made a promise to them?” Unconsciously Youngjae raised his voice.

He was dumbfounded regarding what they were – what they have become.

“I’m bringing it up now, aren’t I?” The elder continued calmly, he picked up his spoon and proceeded to eat. Just what he was doing before their conversation blew up unexpectedly.

“Why bother when you’ve already decided?” Youngjae scoffed, he pushed the bowl of rice to the side and tried to focus his eyes on something that wouldn’t make him lose it completely.

“So that you know where I’ll be.”

Youngjae rolled his eyes. “How considerate of you.”he grunted and pushed back his chair to leave the table.

Daehyun put down the chopsticks of metal at that and exclaimed with his mouth full: “What’s the problem? Why are you like this? It’s just for a couple of weeks, what’s the big deal?”

“Has it ever occurred to you that I might not be here when you get back?” Youngjae spun around and looked right into Daehyun’s brown eyes. He was serious, his chest heaved at the gravity of his spoken deepest thoughts.

What bothered him was not the two months in a foreign country helping people in need or him being the only one with a warm breath in their little home. He could endure that, that and much more if…

_…if he knew he would be missed._

Daehyun’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean? If you’re not here then where else would you be?”

The younger man shook his head slightly and swallowed thickly. “Fine, it’s fine. Do whatever you want.”

What was he?

Underneath the title of a boyfriend and a lover, was he someone that mattered?

He thought about it a lot.

 

***

 

The next time…

Youngjae decided there wasn’t going to be a _next time._

A little bit over 6 weeks was when he had enough. His limbs were weak and cold, he oriented himself around the house on a high fever and wished nothing more than for someone to be there and soothe the burning fog in his head.

In 6 weeks Youngjae had talked to Daehyun twice. Twice as in two times and during those times he had been the one to call. This was understandable since there were limited opportunities for out of country calls where they were at. But was it too much to ask for, to want to hear more than _‘I’m fine, no need to worry. I gotta go’_?

He didn’t ask to always be first. Just once in a while would make him happy.

Youngjae knew he wasn’t a simple man, but that didn’t mean he needed anything more than some simple proof that he wasn’t alone in a circle drawn for two.

Shakingly, he dialed the number on the slip of paper hanging on the fridge. A woman spoke into his ear in mechanical English and he swallowed a pill for his fever as he patiently waited.

Youngjae fell onto the couch and closed his eyes in exhaustion. His body was burning yet he felt cold. His head was pounding heavily and he was half out of consciousness when Daehyun’s warm voice spoke distantly into his ear.

“Hello? Youngjae?” The older man spoke hastily and Youngjae smiled faintly to himself. “Youngjae, it’s you right? We are almost done here, Jae. You won’t believe it but we have actually managed to—“

And Youngjae’s whole body froze.

The hail fell over him and realization hit him dejectedly.

The pride ringing in Daehyun’s voice, the happiness of doing something he wanted… doing something good.

Youngjae pressed his ear against the phone in his hands…

… he really didn’t want to feel like a bad person.

_‘I want you to spend a little bit more time with me…’_

He didn’t want to constantly be this selfish version of him.

“Daehyun-ah,” he voice came out raspy, with layers and layers of sickness coating the walls of his throat it was hard to produce even the tiniest of sounds. “You’re happy aren’t you?”

Soft chuckles travelled across the line, “What kind of question is that? Of course I am. I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. But more than that, when I’ve got-“

“I – I don’t think I am,” his words muffled over Daehyun’s as if it was his fever that made him sound so defeated. “Happy, I mean.”

The line goes quiet for so long he wondered if the call lost connection somewhere along the several countries separating them. “Dae?”

“What do you mean?” Youngjae’s free hand stroke over his face, as if everything would become clearer if he just kept rubbing back and forth. He hated it, he hated the evident shock in Daehyun’s voice. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”

As if he was the only one who saw this coming.

“I’m sorry.” He felt obliged to apologize, to feel sorry that they didn’t work out in the end. Even after so many years.

It hadn’t been his intention to say what he was about to say when he picked up his phone.

He missed Daehyun and had wanted to tell the other that.

He still did.

_But… there’s always going to be a next time._

“I’m sorry, maybe it’s better if we talk about this when you get home.”

The words hung in the air along with the endless tone of a disconnected call.

The roof spun in ellipses above him.

 **_‘_ ** _…10 years was a long time’_

And for 10 years he had looked at Daehyun as his other half.

_He still did._

 

***

 

He told himself from time to time there wasn’t going to be a next time

There wasn’t going to be the next and the next and the next after that.

So then why did his heart beat so frantically behind his ribcage upon seeing his first love as soon as he opened the door to their home?

With arms tanned and brown eyes blazing with widen perspectives, Daehyun stood in front of him.

Taking his breath away like always.

Youngjae put his briefcase cautiously on the floor and hanged his keys on the small crooks he had personally attached to the wall of their hallway.

There wasn’t much left to do, except from staring at each other, trying to look through one another and find what had been lost in translation.

They stayed like that for a long time, Youngjae with his back pressed against the front door and Daehyun whom had risen from the couch at Youngjae’s entrance stood shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

He was nervous, Youngjae noticed, or maybe anxious was a more suitable description judging by the frenzy in his eyes.

“I—“ the older of the two started, unsure and meek. “I did something wrong didn’t I?”

Youngjae looked up to meet the others eyes, he felt tired but did his best to offer a “I don’t think any of us did something wrong, it’s just that…” his mouth was dry, a spectrum of emotions stuck in his throat. It was overwhelming. “Maybe we’re not meant to be."

The broken sound hadn’t come from him. He realized it once Daehyun stood right before him, standing so close he could smell the scent all too familiar to him, the one that was Daehyun’s. Only Jung Daehyun and no one else. “Don’t say that.” Shaking hands slowly rose to gently cup his face between them. “We have always been together, for so long that I started to think it was impossible for us not to be with one another.” He pressed their foreheads together and gazed into Youngjae’s eyes. And somewhere in those deep pools, Youngjae caught the flash of fear. “I never thought of other options because we found each other so quickly and we are meant to be.”

Youngjae bit his lips and swallowed a lump down his throat. “Do you love me?” he whispered against Daehyun’s lips, fully aware that he was never going to be able to tear away from those round magnificent brown orbs completely. “Sometimes you cast me aside so easily I wonder if there’s still a place for me next to you.”

Daehyun pulled back and his hands travelled lower, stopping at Youngjae’s shoulders, holding him. “There are always so many places I want to be at the same time that I never really thought much of being late. But on the whole way back, I kept thinking _‘what if I’m too late._ You said we’ll talk about this, but then I remembered you saying how you might not be here when I get back. So what if - _’_ ” Youngjae’s stomach twisted painfully once he saw Daehyun’s glazed over eyes. “ _What if you left…_ ”

Daehyun wasn’t one to cry, he never had so Youngjae kept of staring, transfixed at the tears threatening to fall, trying to wrap his head around their existence. Daehyun squeezed Youngjae tighter in his hands. “I do. I do love you. I’m sorry for making you think otherwise.”

_There was always going to be a next time…_

“Youngjae-ah, I love you in a way I won’t ever love anyone else.”

_… to love, to hurt and to forgive._

Daehyun tilted his head and captured Youngjae’s lips between his own. Tentatively kissing away the doubt that had been weighing down his heart for so long.

Youngjae’s arms went around Daehyun’s neck to pull him close.

His pulse rang in his ears as he held onto the person he fell in love when he was young and clueless -  the person whom he still loved.

_‘10 years was just long enough to start thinking if it would last forever…’_

and enough to think that perhaps it would

_the next and the next and the next time after that as well._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
